Blind
by Aina Riddle
Summary: Entry for Rune Haven contest, theme blind. Eunice is trying to overcome her feelings for Raguna and an old friend helps her, but a curse may change everything as it takes away her sight. Ivan/Eunice, just cause it's adorable. A high T rating.
1. Shadow Rose

**A/N:** I know that Eunice acts a bit different than she does in the game in this. However, this is slightly based off of a previous one-shot I did involving Eunice. There's no need to read that one (although I won't complain if you did) because it's actually explained in here. The two stories can be seen as independent or as together, it depends on how you readers wish to see them, but the background story is the same for both:

Eunice knew Ivan and Raguna (known as Kael previously) when they were little (the idea having been born when Eunice mentioned having lived in the city before while I was playing the game), and Eunice had loved Raguna and he loved her in return, but then his memories were erased and she was forgotten. She had kept in contact with Ivan and had learned of Kael becoming known as Raguna of Kardia. That's pretty much the background. Like I said, the reasons for her acting different are mentioned in this story, so stick with it until then at least. Plus, the fact that I'm banned from video games during the school year and so haven't played any in a while kind of adds on to why the personalities might be a bit different…

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Rune Factory series and probably never will (eh, I can hope). If I did, there would be slash and the opportunity to have the characters travel to the towns from previous games. Plus, there would be an option to have the main character be a girl…

**Warnings: **Angst, some mental torture but not high enough to warrant a rating of 'M' and it's not graphic, just a bunch of fear. This is het, just because I feel that should be warned about as well since it 'has' to be done in regards to slash. Characters do get hurt, but that's what angst is all about. I think that's all for the warnings… yeah, that's it.

* * *

**Shadow Rose**

Small, pale hands gently closed around the dark blue flower bud, enveloping it but careful to not actually touch the petals. After a moment a blue light started to escape from the tiniest of cracks in her cupped hands, turning her skin luminescent and she watched in wonder as the colors contrasted before letting out a gasp of surprise when the glowing suddenly stopped. Quickly, nimbly, the hands tugged at the stem of the flower, careful not to touch the petals still since she didn't want to kill herself or the flower. Before it is plucked the Shadow Rose has a poisonous powder covering its petals, but once plucked the poison weakens from no contact with the earth through its roots and eventually the toxin goes away, leaving a powder that's used in a multitude of medicines. Eunice had been searching for the flower for weeks now and she was happy she finally found it; because it meant that she could go home and help her mom get better.

The roots finally lifted from the ground and she fell back, releasing the flower so she wouldn't contact the petals. It no longer needed to be in the dark now that it was plucked. Shadows Roses only bloomed in darkness, and yet they always grew in places with lots of light, so she had to cover it to simulate darkness before it would bloom, and plucking the flower then made it stay fully bloomed. It would have been easier to get the flower at night, but she dared not leave the safety of the inn she was staying at during the nighttime hours. This place wasn't anything like Trampoli, it was more like the city she lived in when she was younger, and so much more dangerous because she didn't have her friends here to protect her like when she was little. No Ivan and Kael-no, his name is Raguna now-doesn't even remember her from back then. Standing up to wipe the dirt off of her outfit, which consisted of a dark green blouse and brown pants as well as dark brown boots (she had been criticized for wearing manly clothes, and she wasn't very comfortable wearing them, but they were suited for the traveling she was doing), before she walked over to the fallen flower and picked it up by the stem.

"Wow…" Eunice whispered as she gazed upon the petals. The outside of the flower was a dark blue, but the inside was darker than the darkest of nights with only the stark white of the powder contrasting with it intermittently when it clumped together.

Smiling, she placed the flower inside the basket, which had many more flowers that she had picked since she thought they were pretty, and started her trek back to the inn to grab her stuff and start heading home. Her dad had been adamant about her not going to search for medicine, but she knew he mom needed him with her and had left in the early morning with a note left on her pillow. Normally she wasn't very active and hated to go against her parents wishes, but her mom's health was important and she needed to get out of the village for a little while. To know that the man she has loved for a good portion of her life is there but doesn't remember her, doesn't remember his feelings for her, is in that village dating other girls…it tears her apart. She _had_ to leave for at least a little while, because Raguna was completely blind to her feelings and that hurt every single time she saw him.

"I need to get home, I'm sure the inn needs a good cleaning, and mom needs to get better," She told herself as she walked, convincing herself that going home was the best thing to do. As the wind blew her green hair into her face, wetting it with the silent tears that were there, she wasn't entirely sure of her motivation, because never seeing Raguna kissing Mist again sounded like the best thing in the world.

* * *

"Thank you very much for allowing me to stay here," Eunice said, bowing slightly in gratitude as she paid her bill at the inn. The innkeeper nodded, giving her a weird look for her actions, and she left since that was the best goodbye and thank you she was going to get. The town around her bustled with activity and she felt a little overwhelmed as she shouldered her pack, a dagger at her belt just in case, and walked through the crowds. Uzuki had "toughened her up" more so she knew how to use a weapon, but she never wanted to use it. Their training was just to help her get in shape since she thought that was what Raguna wanted, but it wasn't. Still, she stayed active because she wanted to be able to do more things, and she could clean a lot more without getting tired and eat what she wanted provided she kept exercising.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry, please excuse me," She muttered as she tried to avoid running into the people crowding around the many merchants in the market square. Shoulders jostled against hers and she held the basket of flowers, which were covered so no one would try to steal the elusive Shadow Rose (granted they would learn, like she did, that the thorns on its stem were very sharp), in front of her. Ducking under the arm of a rather large man that was holding his purchase above the crowd, she found herself in a less crowded section where a merchant was still setting up his wares. "Wow, I'm so glad Trampoli isn't like this…"

"Pardon me, Miss, but did you say Trampoli? I was on my way there to visit a few friends as a surprise, but I got lost and ended up in this town instead…" Eunice barely heard the sentence, but the fact that the voice sounded familiar had caught her attention and she looked behind her at the merchant who had spoken. Dark blue eyes meet her violet ones and Eunice gasps as she recognizes the face, surrounded by dark brown locks and holding a small smile on it, a gold headband barely visible under his hair.

"Ivan…?" She asks hesitantly, just to make sure, and Ivan seems just as shocked as she is when he recognizes her.

"Eunice! It's been a long time," he said before starting as her smaller form hugged him. "You're all grown up now, but I still see that beautiful girl from when we were little, she's just a beautiful woman now."

"I'm not pretty, if I was…" She trailed off before releasing him and stepping back to peer into his face. His features were finer, no more baby fat from when they were little, and she could see the slight aristocratic features more prominently now too. Still, that kind smile and eyes were purely Ivan and she never realized how much she had missed her past-especially when it involved Ivan. Most of the time her past revolved around Raguna and that was always filled with pain and loneliness whenever she thought about it, but she could remember Ivan teasing her and Kael and when he held her the day she found out Kael was missing. It had been so long since she had seen her friend and she had never thought she would see him in this small town, as a merchant at that. "Why are you a merchant…? Everything's okay, right? You know if you need help with something you can always come to me… Is Terrable okay? There has to be a reason why you're not with him, you two were inseparable most of the time…"

"Calm down, Eunice, everything is fine." He said, reassuring her before leading her over to some crates and taking a seat on one, inviting her to sit on the other. "Terrable is fine; we're not together all of the time. I come when he calls and he comes when I do. I'm a merchant since that's what I was the last time Raguna saw me and so it's a perfect cover, because I wasn't lying when I said I was doing a surprise trip to Trampoli. You would think that with a giant island floating over it, the village would be easy to find…"

"Oh, that's good, and the village is just past those mountains, whale island isn't that high up anymore, but it's getting higher again now that the Iris twins are together again. That's probably why you couldn't see it from here…" She paused and looked at him again, still not able to believe he was here. "I'm sorry; I'm just so surprised to see you again that I keep rambling. Sorry…"

"Don't apologize, you haven't done anything wrong. Now, why are you out here all by yourself? You were never so independent before, from what I can recall." She ducked her head in an attempt to hide behind her pale green locks and Ivan remembered this from when they were little. She had always tried to hide herself when she felt that people weren't going to like her for how she was or if she felt ashamed of something. As a force of habit he hadn't realized he still had, Ivan pushed the hair behind her ear and lifted her chin up so she was looking at him. "What's wrong?" He could see tears welling up in her eyes and he glared at the customer that interrupted them.

"Hey, aren't you going to set out your wares? I don't have all the time in the world, you know!"

"I'm sorry sir, but I have decided that I'm not going to be selling anything here, there are plenty of other merchants, so please go bother them." He had always been taught not to be rude despite his feelings and he regretted those lessons sometimes as the man muttered some rather indecent language under his breath. "How about we gather my stuff up and get going? You can lead me to the town and we'll travel there using my cart. I have some buffalos to pull it at that inn over there, in the stable." He said as he turned back to Eunice, who was wiping at her eyes with her sleeve.

"I'm sorry…" Ivan sighed as she apologized again for no reason, he had never been able to break her of that habit, and helped her up.

"There's nothing to apologize for, now let's get started so we can continue talking later." She didn't look very reassured that she had no need to apologize and so he kept talking as they started placing everything back in his cart. "Plus, if you're apologizing because you think that you're inconveniencing me, you're not. I know the trip to Trampoli takes at least a day and a half from here, despite not knowing the direction from here I had to go, and I don't like the idea of you traveling alone. It is purely my decision and we're both going to the same place anyways."

"I suppose you're right! Thank you, Ivan." The taller man just smiled, happy to see Eunice's normally cheerful personality shine through whatever was causing her to be so depressed. They continued their work in silence, Eunice's items carefully being stored in the cart as well, before they harnessed the buffalos in and started on their journey.

* * *

Ivan laughed as they started setting up camp, having been sharing stories from their past on their way to Trampoli, and Eunice couldn't help but smile too. They hadn't continued their conversation from the market yet, but she was happy he had given her time before bringing it up. She knew that once they were settled into camp everything would be brought out into the open and she shivered slightly at the thought. Ivan, thinking she was cold, brought her to sit by the small fire he had started and placed his tan cloak over her shoulders before sitting next to her after he started cooking some meat over the fire using a roasting spit. She wanted to protest about taking his cloak, but he gave her a look as she opened her mouth and she protests died before she blushed and stared into the fire.

"Do you remember the time when I caught you sneaking into the palace disguised as the cook's assistant? You had dyed your hair white using flour since you knew the knights would recognize you otherwise and return you home." Eunice blushed at the memory. She had been visiting the capital with her parents as a birthday gift to her and had snuck in the palace to surprise Kael and Ivan. Her punishment after her parents found out was more cleaning, but since she loved doing that she didn't mind, they had actually just found it funny. Ivan had helped her along after finding her and they had all disappeared from the palace to go and play in the river. "I think that was the second time I had ever seen you go against the rules, the first being when we had met and you had gone into the burned meadow, while it was still burning…"

"I know it wasn't smart, but I met you and Kael because of it though, right?" Talking to Ivan about Kael made it easier than keeping it all to herself, but remembering those memories and knowing Raguna never would just hurt. He had forgotten her and everything that they had done together.

"…Do you regret it now, though?" Ivan asked quietly and Eunice sighed, absentmindedly removing the food and placing it on the clay plates, ignoring the pain as the hot meat burned her fingers. She knew this was going to come up, but she still was unsure how to go about it, and was pretty sure that the weak hold she had over her depressing emotions wasn't going to last long. She ate a little bit; sure she wouldn't be able to eat after talking, before she answered him.

"I…I don't regret meeting you, both you and Kael, because I have so many fond memories because of it, but…" She trailed off as she tried to search for the right words, avoiding looking at Ivan as she did so. "I just miss him, so much. It hurts to see him every day and know that he doesn't remember me or our feelings, no, just my feelings since his were erased…

"I hate seeing how much he has fallen for Mist, completely blind to everything I do, but I can't do anything about it because I just want him to be happy." She looked at Ivan, feeling weak as the tears trailed down her face, but she kept looking at him. "Is it selfish of me that I want him to love me again, that I hate supporting him getting with Mist and yet do it anyways because seeing him happy makes me happy? That I wish everyday that that happiness was because of me and not her? I just miss him so much, Ivan, and no one there even knows of what I'm going through… My parents didn't know how Kael looked, so they don't know that Raguna is him, so I don't have anyone to talk to and it just keeps building up, the loneliness and the pain, so much that I fear he will find out and I don't want him to hate me because I kept his past from him. I kept it from him because I didn't think I could bear watching him continue falling in love with the others while knowing of our past together.

"I probably made the wrong choice, doing that, but he probably wouldn't think a love that we had had when we were little would actually last so long. He still loved me though, right? He still loved me before he was kidnapped, because he said it in his letters…" Eunice could hardly see Ivan through her tears and she moved her hand to wipe them away, Ivan's hand beating hers there. He gathered her in his arms and she let herself cry, relieved that someone was actually there to help her through it this time. Ivan kissed the top of her head, holding her as he softly muttered reassurances in her ear, and she felt her strength leaving her. She was so tired, so very, very tired…

"You are the least selfish person in the world, Eunice. I'm so sorry he hurt you this much, but you know he would never do this purposely… Perhaps it is time for you to move on because I hate to see you so torn apart. Where's my sweet little ray of sunshine…?" Ivan whispered as he gently held her. He knew she didn't hear his words because she was asleep, but he hoped they made an impression anyways. Raguna, his little brother, was so blind to everything around him and Ivan wasn't sure if he should keep him in the dark anymore. He had hurt their little Eunice so much without even being aware of it… "I'm sorry…"


	2. Curse

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Rune Factory

**Warnings: **Still the same as the last chapter.

* * *

**Curse**

Eunice blinked groggily as the sun's rays hit her eyes and she rubbed at them, hoping they weren't puffy after her crying last night. Her head was pounding in pain though and she groaned softly before getting up, feeling as Ivan's cloak slid off her shoulders. Surprised that she still had it, she quickly gathered it up before she lifted her body from the ground, stretching the muscles that were sore from sleeping on the hard surface. Ivan was already breaking down the camp and she gave him a small smile of gratitude, too ashamed and embarrassed of her outburst last night to do anymore, before she handed him his cloak and started helping.

Soon enough they were on their way again, the silence between them only slightly awkward before Ivan slowed the cart down so she could hear him talk. "There's nothing wrong with you, Eunice. You don't need to feel ashamed or embarrassed because no one else is going through what you are going through. I'll always be here for you to come to, even if not physically you can always send a letter…" Eunice knew he wanted to say more, but he trailed off as he saw the entrance to Trampoli come into sight. He slowed the cart to a stop and Eunice jumped down to grab her flower basket and rucksack from the cart's interior. She had told Ivan that she wanted to be ready to take the flower to Lara right away, so he had stopped for her to grab it, but she felt like walking now to ease her cramped leg muscles.

"I know Ivan, and thank you," Her words were soft, but she knew he heard them since he smiled. "I'm going to walk the rest of the way though, my legs are stiff and this way you can still be a surprise!" She sounded more cheerful because she felt more cheerful now and she was grateful to her friend for helping her when he certainly didn't have to.

"Well, I don't think it will be much of a surprise since Raguna is walking over here right now," Ivan announced as he watched his younger brother come towards them from the town's small gate. Eunice twirled around in surprise before smiling as she saw Raguna, who looked very surprised at Ivan's presence, and happy. He looked so happy… "Wait… no, I knew they hadn't given up!" Ivan's voice was aggressive and Eunice saw where he was looking. Just inside the trees a mage with the Sech Empire crest on his staff was gathering power for a spell and her feet moved on their own as she saw the curse being released. "Eunice, no!"

Time seemed to slow down as her eyes tracked the red beam of light and she was sure she wouldn't make it in time to push Raguna aside. She was quick now, but she knew she wouldn't make it to Raguna in time, the spell was closer to her though, and so she blocked it. She screamed as the curse hit her eyes and they burned, they burned so bad, but she refused to move as the curse kept hitting her because she didn't want to see Raguna hurt. He may not love her, but she loved him and she didn't want him to feel such pain. The sound of Ivan's sword being pulled from its sheath was the last thing she heard before darkness overtook her and the pain no longer registered.

* * *

"Ivan, why did she block it? How did she even know what you were talking about?" Raguna asked and Ivan looked up from Eunice's troubled face. He knew the curse she had taken and he feared this would be what broke her completely. The mages at the palace had spoken of a new curse, one which caused the person hit to sink into a coma where they would face their worst fears, and it severely damaged the nerves of whatever place it hit. Eunice's violet eyes were blank, unseeing, and he knew that that would hurt her even worse than facing her fears, because it's one of her fears actually coming true.

"Eunice has been a friend of mine for a very long time, and she was a friend of yours for a very long time too, before you forgot us." Ivan began, knowing that Eunice would hate him for this, but also knowing that it was time for Raguna to know who he once was.

"That means…you both knew me? You know my past and yet never told me?" Raguna sounded angry and Ivan had a feeling this was what would cause the kind hearted man to feel anger. It was better than the shock, to show at least a little bit of feeling surrounding what had happened not even a few hours ago. The hours between had been spent curing Rita and attempting to use the flower's healing properties to cure Eunice, but to no avail, she wasn't to be healed and would have to endure the coma and wake to find she was blind.

"Yes, of course I knew you, I'm your brother, but you seemed so happy that I didn't want to ruin your new life… I had duties to attend to that kept me busy, like taking care of Terrable, so I didn't regret not telling you. Eunice was terrified to tell you though, because she had loved you when you were Kael and she still loves you now, and that's why she protected you. She loves you despite that you won't ever return her love again and you never even noticed…" Ivan knew he was being harsh in his revelation, but he was angry at Raguna on Eunice's behalf. She had sacrificed everything just so Raguna could be happy and his brother hadn't even noticed it. Gently closing Eunice's eyes and trying to ignore her whimpers of fear, he held her hand as Raguna started asking questions.

* * *

The wind blew savagely through the trees, causing harsh screams to echo throughout the air and Eunice covered her ears as she kneeled on the ground, trying to block out the horrible sound. She didn't know where she was, but the land around her was dying and it was killing her, she could feel as the trees cracked and splintered, as the flowers wilted under the harsh conditions. It felt like she was burning alive when she smelt the smoke from the burning woods. Her affinity for the earth was killing her, going against her like she had always known it would. It was her connection to Kael and it was rejecting her too.

Her limbs shook, but she forced herself to stand as the smell of smoke got stronger, and she hurried away from it. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away from here before she died. Slowly, so very slowly, too slowly, she limped away from the screaming forest, her pain subsiding more and more with each step. Then the ground was no longer beneath her and she was falling, the wind screaming in her ears like the dying screams of the trees. She curled herself into a ball to brace for the impact, but there was none as she suddenly found herself curled up on the ground in a flower-filled meadow.

"Our meadow…" She whispered, recognizing the meadow she had met Ivan and Kael in. It had been her secret place, but then it had burned and she had tried to stop it. Kael and Ivan had helped her grow more flowers and it became even more beautiful than before, but it also held so many cherished and painful memories. Eunice closed her eyes, she didn't want to be here; she didn't want to remember the broken promise. They were supposed to be married here, like they had planned in those last few letters, but that was all gone and she didn't want to remember!

Wedding music filled the air and Eunice glanced up from where she was still on the ground before she closed her eyes and covered her ears as Raguna and Mist said their vows. "No, no, no, no, no, no…." She repeated over and over, because that wasn't the Raguna she knew today, that was her Kael, standing in his royal clothing and he had looked at her with such _hatred_. "No, why is this happening…? Why?!" She pulled at her hair, hoping the pain, _something_, would distract her from the happy couple standing only a few feet away, but their laughter filled her head painfully and felt the tears run down her cheeks before they stopped as her eyes burned.

She screamed as the pain overtook her, it was as if that curse was hitting her again, but she stopped as she heard someone calling her name.

"Eunice? Why are you screaming?" Ivan was asking before he helped her to stand. She couldn't see him, all there was around her was darkness, but she could recognize his voice.

"I…Ivan?" She asked hesitantly, her voice hoarse from screaming, and Ivan chuckled lightheartedly.

"Of course it's me, now come on, we're going to the Flower Festival today and I know you don't want to miss all of the blossoms. Hurry, Kael is waiting there for us!" Eunice nodded and stumbled along as Ivan pulled at her hand. She couldn't see as he pointed out all of the flowers she loved to stare at. She couldn't see the beauty of the world around her and her eyes just burned more when she wanted to cry. Her tears wouldn't come and she let the sobs escape her mouth. The world was lost to her, all of its beauty, and she let herself fall as someone pushed her aside. Ivan was shouting but she could do nothing as Lynette's voice rang out and her friends forgot her…

Everything seemed to pass by her in a rush, but she couldn't see it, she could only hear as her mom screamed her dying screams, the sickness having taken her.

As the village died around her, the island no longer floating above, she couldn't see to help and she could only join in the screams.

Her hands were curled up around the tiny ones of her baby, but the skin touching hers was so cold and still and she felt sobs rack her body as her stillborn baby was pulled from her arms. "I knew loving you was a mistake…" Raguna's voice echoed in her head and she felt empty inside as everything went silent.

She was alone, no one was there for her, and she knew she would always be. No one would love a broken girl like her and they had left her alone, so very alone…

* * *

Ivan stirred from where he was dozing as Eunice's sobs and whimpers stopped completely. She had been screaming earlier and had clawed at her eyes, but after that she had been only crying. He looked at her closely and her face seemed relaxed, which meant she was only sleeping now. Gently, he moved her hair out of her face and traced a finger along her cheekbone before pulling his hand back. The talk with Raguna earlier had been tense, but his brother knew everything now. Still, it had been too late since Raguna and Mist had married while Eunice was away from the village for those two weeks (the Shadow Rose was really quite hard to find and normally in monster-infested areas), and although Raguna felt guilty, Ivan refused to force his brother into a relationship that was no longer there.

Raguna, though, had revealed something to him he had never even noticed. After everything they had talked about, his brother had left with only a few parting words. 'I may not love her the way she loves me, but I can tell that you do.' He had always cared for Eunice, but Kael had always been the center of her life, and so he had never really thought about caring for her romantically. She had been his best friend, and he had remained blind to the feelings he was developing for her. Ivan shifted in his seat uncomfortably, wondering what Eunice would think. Her world was filled with such depression and he wanted to fix that, but he wasn't sure if she would let him fill the void the loss of Kael had caused…

"No…" Eunice whispered softly and Ivan stood up to get closer to her as she shook her head in denial. She was awake and he suspected she knew what had happened.

"Shhh, Eunice, it's okay, just calm down and I'll explain everything, okay?" She started at the sound of his voice, and he wondered briefly what her fears had been, before he gathered her in his arms and held her still. "It's me, Ivan; I promise everything will be okay…" She sobbed into his chest and he cried tears for her and himself as he rocked her gently. He was going to make her happy again, he swore it.

**A/N: I wanted to go into more detail on the facing her fears part, but the rating can't go higher than 'T' for the contest and I don't want to push it too much. It's there to help Eunice understand what it means if she doesn't start moving forward.**


	3. Happy Endings

**A/N:** This is the last part. I had planned on making it longer, but some stuff came up and I just don't have the time. Still, short and sweet (at least on this part) makes it work. I hope everyone enjoyed this story and good luck to everyone in the contest!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rune Factory.

* * *

**Happy Endings**

A larger hand covered her own and Eunice lifted her head towards where Ivan's face would be. She knew she couldn't see him anymore, but it was a force of habit. "The ground in front of you is smooth, I promise." Ivan said and she smiled at the happiness that colored his voice. Slowly she took a step forward, Ivan's hand holding hers and guiding her and she was happy.

The wind felt nice today and she could smell the flowers in her hand, the colors coming alive in her imagination when she recognized the scents. The strongest scent of all was the Shadow Rose that she knew was mixed in with the other flowers and she was tempted to grin when she smelled it. They had gone through a lot of trouble to get this one, but it had been just her and Ivan and he had helped her, showed her that she could still do things despite her blindness. That the beauty of the world was still there and that she just had to try a little harder to find it. Ivan stopped and he stopped her as well, turning her towards him and lifting her chin with a finger. Slightly chapped lips met hers and Eunice kissed her soon-to-be husband back, loving that he cared for her so much despite everything he knew about her.

"I love you," she whispered and he chuckled softly, kissing her forehead before messing with her hair, something he often did and something she often did with his in return. "You're going to mess my hair up and Melody worked so hard on it…"

"I was going to say I love you, but you beat me to it." They started moving again, him guiding her despite knowing she could walk on her own easily. She had become more in tune with the earth and could essentially 'feel' the way things looked if she tried hard enough. She had embraced her earth affinity after that curse had hit her, so that it wouldn't reject her, and she had also moved forward and past Raguna not loving her. She still felt some feelings for him, but they were more platonic now that she had Ivan.

Ivan had moved into the village, into Brodik's old house actually, the very day she awoke from her coma so he could help her transition easier and she couldn't be happier that he had done so. Eunice had been terrified after witnessing the effects of the curse and Ivan had helped her overcome her fears, and had helped her through her grief when she had met with the newly married Raguna, one who knew of their past together from a third person perspective. He had helped her and in the end she had realized how much she actually cared for him and that he cared for her in return. He had proposed to her right after they had gathered the Shadow Rose in commemoration of the fact that it had been two years since they had found each other again. Today, they were getting married and she was so happy, especially since Stella had granted her request to have it in the village square and not in the stuffy church. She needed the outdoors.

"I wish Terrable could be here, but I suppose this is not the best place to have a dragon, is it?" Eunice laughed and she knew Ivan was most likely smiling sheepishly.

"No, but…" She knew they had entered the wedding area properly when she heard Ivan gasp. "I invited him anyways. He's an earth dragon, so he likes me too. Plus, I told him you would be happy, you are, right?" She was swept off her feet in a hug and he kissed her longer, and deeper before he placed her feet back on the ground.

"Thank you," he whispered, placing his forehead against hers and she smiled playfully.

"You're welcome, now let's get married before they start thinking we're going to consummate the marriage a bit too early." Her hand lifted to close his mouth that she knew would fall open at her statement with a laugh and she felt her cheeks warm. "Blame my mom for giving me tips to use for tonight…" Ivan's laugh echoed across the plaza and she could hear the deep laughter of the dragon in her mind as well (since it communicated telepathically) as they finally stepped in front of Stella to say their vows.


End file.
